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PRESENT PERFECT

CONTINUOUS

Michela Giordanomgiordano@unica.it

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

FORM

The structure of the present perfect continuous tense is:

subject + auxiliary verb + main verb + -ing

have

has been base+ ing

has/have + been + present participle

+ You have been waiting here for two hours.

? Have you been waiting here for two hours?

- You have not been waiting here for two hours. 2

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USE: DURATION FROM THE PAST UNTIL NOW

The Present Perfect Continuous is used to show that

something started in the past and has continued up

until now or has some connection to now.

a) They have been talking for the last hour.

b) She has been working at that company for three

years.

c) What have you been doing for the last 30 minutes?

d) James has been teaching at the university since

June.

e) We have been waiting here for over two hours!

f) Why has Nancy not been taking her medicine for

the last three days?3

An action that started in the past and is continuing

up to now:

a) I have been reading for 2 hours. [I am still

reading now.]

b) We've been studying since 9 o'clock. [We're still

studying now.]

c) How long have you been learning English? [You

are still learning now.]

d) We have not been smoking. [And we are not

smoking now.]

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An action which has just stopped (though the

whole action can be unfinished) and has a result,

which we can often see, hear, or feel, in the present (the

focus is on the action).

a) I'm so tired, I've been studying.

b) I've been running, so I'm really hot.

c) It's been raining, the pavement is wet.

d) I've been reading your book, it's very good.

e) I'm tired because I've been running.

f) Why is the grass wet? Has it been raining?

g) You don't understand because you haven't been

listening.

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RECENTLY, LATELY

The Present Perfect Continuous can be also used

WITHOUT a duration such as "for two weeks." Without

the duration, the tense has a more general meaning of

"lately." We often use the words "lately" or "recently" to

emphasize this meaning.

a) Recently, I have been feeling really tired.

b) She has been watching too much television lately.

c) Have you been exercising lately?

d) Mary has been feeling a little depressed.

e) Lisa has not been practicing her English.

f) What have you been doing? 6

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OTHER USAGES

1) to emphasise how long something has taken

a) I’ve been trying to start my own business for ages.

b) I’ve been waiting here for ages.

2) to indicate that an activity is temporary or incomplete

c) I’ve been staying here while I try to buy a flat.

d) I’ve been living here for a few months now.

( ≠ I’ve lived here all my life!)

3) to emphasise the repetition of an activity

e) I’ve been going jogging every night.

f) I’ve been ringing and ringing you!7

WITH FOR AND SINCE

We often use for and since with the present perfect

continuous tense.

1) We use for to talk about a period of time - 5 minutes,

2 weeks, 5 years.

2) We use since to talk about a point in past time - 9

o'clock, 1st January, Monday.

a) I have been studying for 3 hours.

b) I have been watching TV since 7pm.

c) Maria hasn't been feeling well for 2 weeks.

d) Maria hasn't been visiting us since March.

e) John has been playing football for a long time.

f) John has been living in London since he left school. 8

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NON-CONTINUOUS VERBS-STATIVE VERBS

It is important to remember that non-continuous verbs

or stative verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses.

Instead of using Present Perfect Continuous with these

verbs, we must use Present Perfect.

a) Sam has been having his car for two years. Not

Correct

b) Sam has had his car for two years. Correct

c) How long have you been knowing Sally? Not correct

d) How long have you known Sally? Correct

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The following verbs (stative verbs) are usually not used in

in the progressive/continuous form. They show a state and

not an action.

oExisting state/state: be, cost, fit, mean, suit, seem,

appear, depend, include, consist of, exist, contain

oPossession: belong, have, own, need

oSensory perception/senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste,

touch

oFeelings/emotional states: hate, hope, like, love, prefer,

regret, want, wish, detest, envy, dislike, mind, fear

oBrain work/thought/mental states: believe, know,

think, understand, assume, consider, suppose, expect, agree,

know, remember, forget, doubt, imagine

oIntroductory clauses for direct speech: answer, ask,

reply, say

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PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE OR

CONTINUOUS?

Both tenses are used to express that an action began in

the past and is still going on or has just finished. In many

cases, both forms are correct, but there is often a

difference in meaning:

We use the Present Perfect Simple mainly to express that

an action is completed or to emphasise the result. We

use the Present Perfect Progressive or Continuous to

emphasise the duration or continuous course of an

action.

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1) Result or duration?

Result (what / how much / how often)

a) I have written 5 letters. / I have been to London twice.

Duration (how long)

b) I have been writing for an hour.

2) Emphasis on completion or duration?

Emphasis on completion

c) I have done my homework. (My homework is completed

now.)

Emphasis on duration

d) I have been doing my homework. (That's how I have

spent my time.)

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3) Result or side effect?

desired result

a) I have washed the car. (The car is clean now.)

unwanted side effect

b) Why are you so wet? - I have been washing the car. (I

became wet when I was washing the car.)

4) Time + negation: last time or beginning of an action?

since the last time

c) I haven't played that game for years. (It's years ago that I

last played that game.)

since the beginning

d) I haven't been playing that game for an hour, only for 10

minutes. (It's not even an hour ago that I started to play that

game.)

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5) Permanent or temporary?

If an action is still going on and we want to express that

it is a permanent situation, we use the Present Perfect

Simple. For temporary situations, we prefer the Present

Perfect Progressive or Continuous. This is not a rule,

however, only a tendency.

permanent

a) James has lived in this town for 10 years. (He is a

permanent resident of this town.)

Temporary

b) James has been living here for a year. (This situation

is only temporary.)

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1 It has ________________ snowing a lot this week.

2 ________________ your brother and sister been getting along?

3 Rick ______________ been studying hard this semester.

4 I'm tired because I _______________ been working out.

5 Julie ________________ living in Italy since May.

6 How long have you been ________________ German?

7 We have been watching TV ____________ 3 hours.

8 You have _____________________ too hard today.

9 Has it ______________ raining since you arrived?

10My brother has been travelling ______________ he finished

school.

Add the missing words.

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Complete the sentences with the present perfect continuous.

1) She (work) here for five years.

2) I (study) all day.

3) You (eat) a lot recently.

4) We (live) in London for six months.

5) He (play) football, so he's tired.

6) They (learn) English for two years.

7) I (cook) so I'm really hot.

8) She (go) to the cinema every weekend for years.

9) It (rain). The pavement is wet.

10) You (sleep) for twelve hours.

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11) I (not/work) today.

12) You (not/eat) well recently.

13) We (not/exercise) enough.

14) She (not/study).

15) They (not/live) here for very long.

16) It (not/snow).

17) He (not/play) football for five years.

18) We (not/drink) enough water - that's why we

feel tired.

19) I (not/sleep) I was reading.

20) They (not/watch) TV much recently. 17

Complete the sentences with the present perfect continuous.

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Put the verbs into the correct tense (Present

Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive)

1) I (play) football for five years.

2) My team (win / only) two matches so far.

3) The others (be / always) better.

4) Are we not there yet? We (walk) for hours.

5) But we (cover / only) an area of five miles so

far.

6) I (finish/just) my homework.

7) I (work) on this essay since two o'clock.

8) Jane (go out) with Bob for seven years.

9) Martin (date) three girls this week.

10)How long (wait / you) for us?

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Use the verbs in Present Perfect Progressive, if

possible. If it is not possible, use the Present

Perfect Simple.

1) We (know) them for 15 years.

2) They (watch) TV for 3 hours.

3) He (have) this car for 20 years.

4) We (work) for 7 hours without a break.

5) How long (you / learn) English?

6) Mr Smith (be) in hospital for 5 days.

7) Steven (hear) a mouse squeak all night.

8) (you / see) Brona?

9) She (prepare) dinner for two hours.

10)Don't worry, they (touch / not) your gameboy.

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Put the verbs into the correct tense (Present

Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive).

1) Why are you out of breath? - I (run).

2) The toaster is okay again. Dad (repair) it.

3) I am so tired, I (work) all day.

4) Your shirt is clean now. Maggie (wash) it.

5) I'm afraid, I'm getting a cold. I (walk) home in the

rain.

6) Your clothes smell awful! (you / smoke) ?

7) Peggy is ready for her exam now. I (help) her

preparing for it.

8) It is dark in here because we (close) the curtains. We

want to watch a film and that's better in the dark.

9) His voice is gone now because he (shout) all morning.

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Robin: I think the waiter (forget) us. We (wait) here for

over half an hour and nobody (take) our order yet.

Michele: I think you're right. He (walk) by us at least

twenty times. He probably thinks we (order, already) .

Robin: Look at that couple over there, they (be, only) here

for five or ten minutes and they already have their food.

Michele: He must realize we (order, not) yet! We (sit) here

for over half an hour staring at him.

Robin: I don't know if he (notice, even) us. He (run) from

table to table taking orders and serving food.

Michele: That's true, and he (look, not) in our direction

once.

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1. Judy: How long (be) in Canada?

Claude: I (study) here for more than three years.

2. I (have) the same car for more than ten years.

I'm thinking about buying a new one.

3. I (love) chocolate since I was a child. You

might even call me a "chocoholic."

4. Matt and Sarah (have) some difficulties in

their relationship lately, so they (go) to a

marriage counselor. I hope they work everything

out.

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5. John (work) for the government since he

graduated from Harvard University. Until

recently, he (enjoy) his work, but now he is

talking about retiring.

6. Lately, I (think) about changing my career

because I (become) dissatisfied with the

conditions at my company.

7. I (see) Judy for more than five years and

during that time I (see) many changes in her

personality.

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1. I'm very hungry. I_________ all day.

a) didn't eat

b) haven't ate

c) haven’t eaten

d) have been eating

2. Their new kitchen looks fantastic. They _______ completely

_____ it.

a) have _____ been redecorating

b) have _____ redecorated

c) already _____ redecorated

d) didn't _____ redecorated

3. Our kitchen’s a mess. We____________ any cleaning for weeks.

a) didn't do

b) haven't been doing

c) have done

d) haven't done

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4. I think they are dating. They_________ a lot of each other recently.

a) had seen

b) haven't been seeing

c) have been seeing

d) have seen

5. We've discovered this great café and we_________ there a lot.

a) have been going

b) have gone

c) are going

d) have went

6. How's your Mum? I _____________ her for ages.

a) had seen

b) haven't seen

c) haven't been seeing

d) didn't see

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7. You're covered in paint! What __________ you __________?

a) have _____ done

b) were _____ doing

c) did _____ do

d) have _____ been doing

8. She’s gone to the doctor's. She ______________ too well lately.

a) hasn't felt

b) hasn't been feeling

c) has felt

d) doesn't feel

9. Where have you been? I____________ for ages.

a) have waited

b) waited

c) was waiting

d) have been waiting

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Sources

•http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfectcontinuous.html

•http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verb-tenses_present-perfect-

continuous.htm

•http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verb-tenses_present-perfect-

continuous_quiz.htm

•http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/present-perfect-continuous-

exercise-1.html

•http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro

•http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro/exercises

•http://www.englishgrammarsecrets.com/presentperfectsimpleorcontinuous/ex

ercise5.swf

•http://www.learn4good.com/languages/evrd_grammar/presentpcont_exc.htm